ORANGE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL / PREP EXTRA : GARDEN GROVE LEAGUE : See Leo Run, and Run, and Run . . . for 326 Yards

Rancho Alamitos employed a simple attack in its 41-17 victory over Garden Grove: Run Leo Kosi left, run Leo Kosi right, run Leo Kosi up the middle.

Kosi rushed for 326 yards in 33 carries, helping the Vaqueros to score 20 fourth-quarter points and break open a close Garden Grove League game at Bolsa Grande High Friday night.

Kosi tied La Quinta’s Rick Curry, who gained 326 yards in 1971, for the 11th best single-game rushing performance in Orange County history. Kosi didn’t set a school record--Dana Riddle rushed for 344 yards against Pacifica in 1989--and he didn’t threaten the county record held by Dana Hills’ Jim Gleed, who rushed for 418 yards against Laguna Hills in 1979.

But his performance kept the Vaqueros in the playoff hunt.

Despite some sloppy play, Rancho Alamitos (3-5-1, 3-1-1 in league) will play Santiago (5-4, 3-2), in the regular-season finale next week with the winner earning the league’s final automatic playoff berth.

Rancho Alamitos was penalized 10 times for 110 yards in the game and Kosi fumbled three times in a seven-minute span to help keep Garden Grove (2-7, 2-4) close for three quarters.

Garden Grove’s Kevin Griswold recovered two of those fumbles and gave Garden Grove some momentum although it trailed, 14-3.

Garden Grove quarterback Troy Haller tossed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Brian Jones to make it 14-10 late in the second quarter, then Jones struck again after Kosi fumbled to end the Vaqueros’ first possession of the third quarter.

Jones, who had eight receptions for 97 yards, turned a short pass from Haller into a 32-yard scoring play to give Garden Grove a 17-14 lead midway through the third quarter.

John Frank drove Rancho Alamitos 65 yards and completed a seven-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Trigg, who also returned an interception 34 yards for a touchdown, to cap the drive and give the Vaqueros a 21-17 lead.